If you are thinking of ending the sadness of your passive aggressive relationship,
you are not alone. For many wives of passive aggressive husbands, ending a passive aggressive relationship is often at the center of their thoughts. You may have tried many other alternatives, trying to salvage the relationship or convince your husband how changing would improve your marriage. Although we always encourage communication and growth above leaving the relationship, sometimes this option is a necessary final step. Sometimes, it is simply healthier for you to leave your husband and move on to a new stage in your life.
The first step in leaving a passive aggressive husband is to come to terms with your situation. You may have already done this, but if you haven't, let us explain. It is important to realize the facts about your relationship: your partner is passive aggressive. You have tried everything you could, and still he refuses to accept his share in conflict ownership. Regardless of that, he is responsible at least for half of the relationship failure...and still in denial of this fact. You are in pain, ready to move on, ready to begin again on your own if you have to.
Another thing to keep in mind is that certain strategies that have worked for others may not have worked for you, and that's okay. After a certain point, some people are not fixable or changeable - simply because he has to be the one to commit to changing himself. Have you heard the phrase, "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink?" If your passive aggressive husband can't commit to changing, it is not your responsibility or obligation to try and change him anyway. If he's not willing to commit to change, he's also not willing to commit to the relationship.
The next step after accepting that he will not change - and you have no obligation to change him - is to grieve the dreams you're leaving behind. Sounds dramatic, doesn't it? It's true though. Essentially, you suffer from the relationship not just because it thwarts your need for love, support, and trust. You also suffer because there is some part of you that still dreams of a perfect marriage, and this part of you is constantly crying, "Look, this is what could have been." This may be the hardest thing you'll ever have to do. It requires teaching yourself that sometimes, we can't rely on others to fulfill our dreams, or wait for them to give us what we need. We have to take charge and take what we need for ourselves, or move on and find someone who deserves us. Realize that you have more to offer than is being recognized; you are worth respect and adoration!
After you've left the relationship behind you - moved to a new city, gotten a new job, whatever it is that you decided - the next important step is to re-motivate your life. Stop, think clearly for a moment. Has it sunk in yet, that you can do whatever you want? That you are free? That there is nothing holding you back from doing the things you've dreamed of doing? Think about something you've wanted to do, somewhere you wanted to be. Maybe you have projects that you never were able to do, goals you left behind to put your husband's needs first. Pick those things back up! Let yourself dive back into them, and being to nurture and heal yourself in the process.
Lastly, it is critical for you to have a network of supportive people to shelter you as you transition from your old marriage to your new life. Whether they are family, friends, church members, teachers, mentors, or coaches, the benefits of having someone to listen to you and guide you cannot be overestimated. You need someone who will know how to put you on the right path when you're not sure where to go next, when your ex-partner tries to guilt trip you, when there are complications in the process or when you just feel discouraged and lonely.
If you are ready to leave your relationship, want to try and salvage it, or are just trying to get by in whatever situation you're in, Coach Nora is here to help.
Please visit her here to receive a free coaching session, and learn what you can do to create a happier, healthier life for yourself. No bad situation is ever permanent, if you don't want it to be!
Also, we offer an entire eBook on the subject of leaving a passive aggressive relationship. Please look below how to get your own copy, and learn more strategies for moving on in a healthy, responsible way.